My front shock lower and top bushings are shot. I would really love to figure out a way to do some form of progressive shock thing. Gas filled shocks have a nice feature of low resistance for small deflections and as the gas is compressed resistance increases. In the mean time, I’m considering looking for front bushings with some give to them. Sounds like urethane might be more like solid bushings. Are they quite stiff?
I’d love to see your rings. I was going to make some but as I learned more I was thinking the air flow around the lights would be beneficial to the cooling of the lights and the motor controller mounted to the dash/firewall.
Regarding the Lithium battery upgrade(22S Nissan Leaf) and the battery voltage spoof. I had 4 diodes working when my BMS was topping out at 3.97V/Cell but I bumped it to 4.05 and now I was getting the -16 code(Over voltage). Fixed it with a brake pedal switch I pulled off our new 2001 Prius when I added cruise control to it( done back in 2001 ).
I just put another diode across the 2 pins on the heavy duty NC(Normally Closed) switch and then wired it in series with the orginal 4 diodes. When I see the -16 code I turn the key off, push the button(momentarily inserts the extra diode) and turn the key and then release the button.
The top-off voltage is bled off rather quickly once moving so I’m not worried about blowing the controller or anything.
I will be drilling a hole in the lower dash and mounting it under the steering column or just to the right of it.
My upper and lower front shock bushings are shot too (need to check the rears). I hadn’t considered casting them, that’s an interesting idea. Any pics to share?
Soft urethane would be great so if you make another set, I would love to try them.
And the LED headlight rings look great! If you can PM the stl file I’d like to try replicating the design but with some air venting.
FYI, the headlight circuit is rated for 7.5A and the previous pulled 3A each while the LED pull ~1.5A each. So easily another 3A to use on something else like switched flood lights, holiday lighting, etc.
There are 2 bushings for each hole and use the original metal sleeve. The only problem I had installing them was on the vehicle side. There was a huge chunk of weld slag in the mount area. I had to grind out the slag with a dremal, took some time. I added a bit of shoulder to keep the shock centered in the mount (and not have metal to metal when the shock moves in the mount) that the original didn’t have.
Hi Doug. I just bought a 2002 4 person GEM and, after reading your last two years worth of comments, am going to sell it as it has problems as well mostly with the jerky starts and brakes. I get the feeling I overpaid for it but that is okay. Can you give me a sense of what this thing should go for when I dump it
is there a knocking noise which you associate with the “jerky start”? If it is then that is a $5 rubber bumper which goes into the hollow spine of the motor(~2 nuts and 4 bolts ). Brake problems are often leaking brake wheel cylinders which are maybe $10 each and the process is the same as a full size car so gobs of videos on that or any mechanic shop should accept the job.
For pricing, if stock and the batteries are on their last year then probably in the low to mid $2000, if batteries are new then add the cost of the batteries to the price.
Okay thanks for the speedy response. Jerky start is only up the driveway pad. When on the street then it seems okay. Previous owner let the master cylinder run dry so I added Dot 3 and am going to bleed all the brakes - only one leaking. Just doesn’t stop well - brake is hard to push. I believe if there is air in the lines the brakes should feel spongy and not hard but I could be mistaken. Feels like brake shoes are old and just not biting
If you checked all 4 brakes for leaking then yes, something is wrong if it doesn’t stop well enough. Many times wheel cylinders can leak and not show the leak external to the drums since they’ll leak down the backing plate and onto the inside of the drums and coat the shoes long before external visibility.
As for the jerky start in the driveway, it’s just that it takes a bit of a gentle touch to get used to the low end of the throttle pedal response. Not sure if a different, exponential POT could be used or not. I just got used to going easy on the start. The controller could be updated too but that’s more than just a mechanical type of thing.
Okay thanks very much. Do brake shoes get old and hardened or this is more of a brake splinter/bleed brake kind of thing. The brakes don’t squeal at all
I should start another thread for throttle pot padding.
This is one method. Reverse padding resistor from low end to high end for opposite effect. http://www.ronybc.com/calc_vcp.php
The periodic cutting out while driving was debugged to the 72V input supply wire to the 12V converter and it was determined the converter is original equipment. It was fine for a while once I ziptied the wire harness in a certain position but eventually the wire must have wiggled and the problem started again. I finally decided to call Polaris and try to get the recall applied even though when I look up the VIN it shows the recall having been applied.
The service rep was well mannered and told me the recall was applied and I told him that experts on a forum had determined it had not been applied. His response was, well it says here it was applied so you should take your vehicle to a dealer and have any issues identified and resolved by them. Pretty much end of the story for him but there is a parking brake recall in unknown state so he have me the recall numbers of both items and he gave me the number of the local GEM dealer.
I called our local GEM dealer and explain the problem and that it was determined to be the aux converter and that there was a recall and it had not been applied but Polaris says it was. He said if it was said to be applied then a dealer applied it and there was nothing he could do. I tried again but he said the same until I’d told him I purchased the vehicle from the original own and have all the docs and he only showed the dealer replacing batteries. He then changed his tune some and asked me to send him my VIN number and pictures of the 12V aux converter. I did that and then I started searching and found a PDF document which is the instructions for applying the L-11-05 recall and sure enough on page 4 it shows the exact unit I have and in step 5 it says “old style converter” referencing the photo number.
I sent another email to the Polaris dealer containing the PDF and pointing out the page and photo number.
update1:
The local Polaris Dealer sent me an email with a screen capture of the Polaris VIN lookup and states:
The recall has already been applied… WTH
I asked if I should contact Polaris again now that I have evidence of the recall not having been performed by any Polaris Dealership and mentioned that in my pictures he can see that the wires
to the 12V converter are stock and potted into the device so it’s impossible for the recall to ever have been performed.
update2:
The local dealership sent this: “Unfortunately I cannot further assist in this situation”
I sent an email to Polaris explaining that their database is incorrect, that my vehicle has not had the recall and that the unit in the vehicle is the same as the one in the Dealer Service Instructions for the L-11-05 recall. I asked them to correct their database so that the local Dealer can perform the recall.
I would raise the issue with NHTSA.gov (and tell Polaris you will do so) if they stonewall. That you are second owner and have all the paperwork is important.
Hard to believe any reputable dealer would have done one of the recalls and not the other.
They are playing “Chicken or the Egg” as Polaris said to contact their authorized Dealer to see if the service bulletin/recall item has been performed but I’d already provided proof it has not and all I got back from them was that they can’t do anything because the Polaris database says the service bulletin had already been performed.
I provided photographic proof to Polaris, as I had with their dealer, showing the part was the factory installed OEM part and provided their own service bulletin installation document which shows pictures of what the “old style converter” looks like and that implementation requires splicing all of the wires and my system has no splices either.
I also mentioned that I could go to the NTSB to get guidance on how to remedy the error in the Polaris database but expect there is someone at Polaris who knows already.
Update:
Polaris response was that there are many dealers in the Los Angeles area and that my best option is to take it to a dealer and see what they say. I’m in San Diego… with the nearest dealer 40 miles away and the next nearest over 60 miles. They say “take it to a dealer” like I can just put it into my pocket and bicycle over there just to see what they will say.
Getting a bit pissed there is an NTSB safety recall and regardless of my pictures and evidence to show no dealer addressed the recall issue, they jack me around. One last message to Polaris before I contact the NTSB will be a request that they contact the closest dealer and tell that dealer they will honor the recall once they see the vehicle and determine the status of the vehicle with regards to the recall item. I have to narrow the topic because the dealer already said they could do a “vehicle inspection” and see what that shows. ie they want to bill me for a “vehicle inspection” first…
